Bachelor of Arts

Middle East Studies - unit set code MJ-A000053

Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Cloud (Online)

A major in Middle East Studies will give students a comprehensive understanding of the events and issues shaping the region. There will be emphasis on both historical and contemporary issues relevant to the analysis of the Middle East as a regional system, as well as its place in the international system. A particular stress will be placed on the changing role of the United States in the Middle East since the end of the Cold War and its push to reshape the region's political landscape according to American national interests. Several of the endemic conflict situations that exist in the Middle East will be examined throughout the sequence, including the War on Terror; the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Israel-Palestine impasse; the 2006 Israel-Lebanon crisis; Iran's nuclear ambitions, and the role of 'rogue states'.

On successful completion of the Middle East Studies sequence, students should have the skills and capacities to:

comprehend and critically analyse debates in relation to the Middle East

understand the organisation of government in the Middle East and North Africa

communicate clearly, in written and oral form, about the issues of the Middle East

understand and explain the principles that inform political action at local, national and global levels in relation to the region